The Scanian War is generally taken to mark the beginning of the decline of Sweden as a Great Power. During the Thirty Years War and the Northern War of 1655-60 (First or Second Northern War in different historical traditions), Sweden had established a Baltic Empire, expelling Denmark from her remaining possessions in the south of modern Sweden (amongst them Scania), and taking control of Pomerania, Wismar and Bremen in northern Germany. This had come at a serious financial cost, and after the peace of 1660 Sweden was looking for a lucrative alliance - during the Thirty Years War much of the cost of the Swedish army had been paid by her allies.